JOHNSTON COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Highway Patrol is searching for a Wilmington driver involved in a crash on I-40 yesterday that severed his passenger’s arm.

The accident happened just before 6 p.m. Tuesday in Johnston County.

Tpr. Michael Baker says Brad Venticinque, 31, was driving west on I-40 when he hit the median, overcorrected and hit a guard wire severing the arm of his passenger Zachary Hunter, 19, also of Wilmington.

“We’re still currently investigating as far as how it possibly could have happened,” Baker said.

Highway Patrol says lack of attention and overcorrecting steering led to the accident.

Venticinque suffered minor injuries and reportedly left the crash scene.

“He did speak with the investigating trooper on the scene. I think he advised that he was going to give him some more information, and then left the scene at that time,” Baker said.

But friends of hunter tell a different story on Facebook. In a post, Ian Oliver said, “As for the driver (brad), Zack says he was with him the whole time and even went to the first hospital with him.”

Highway Patrol is working with the Johnston County DA’s Office to decide what charges Venticinque faces, but they have not found him yet.

Hunter is at Duke Medical Center in stable condition.

His girlfriend Ali Johnson posted a picture on Facebook of her holding Hunter’s left hand and a note saying, “Please keep my wonderful boyfriend Zack Hunter in your thoughts and prayers he has got into a car accident and lost his arm.”

She told us Hunter needs all the love and support he can get right now, but she says he is recovering.